1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel combination of a motor vehicle and a finger guard on a door of the vehicle. The finger guard will prevent fingers from being caught between the door and the door opening when the door is closed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Motor vehicles, and particularly passenger cars, comprise a passenger cabin having at least one access door. The door is usually hinged along the forward or front edge thereof to swing outwardly from a closely-fitting door opening. The door opening is an integral part of the body of the vehicle.
It often happens that children, and sometimes adults, have their fingers caught between the vehicle door and the door opening when the door is closed. Children frequently wrap their fingers over the distal edge of the open door, and then close the door without withdrawing their fingers. Or, because of the door's weight and mounting, a child will grap the open door with one hand, place the other hand in the door opening, and then close the door on the hand in the opening. Adults, particularly older people, may have similar accidents.
Finger guards for motor vehicle doors to prevent injuries to fingers have been suggested previously. U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,444,398 to S. J. Shepherd, 1,444,994 to J. F. White, and 1,894,102 to S. H. H. Kuenzel, each disclose a guard that is placed over the hinged or proximal edge of the door to prevent injury to occupants in the vehicle. These guards are not effective to prevent injury at the distal edge of the door to persons outside the vehicle. The finger guard disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,955,871 to J. Himka is too complicated and expensive for current vehicle designs.
Finger guards which cover the hinged juncture between two panels, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,626,844 to C. J. Kuhn, 2,694,234 to S. S. Roby et al, and 3,319,697 to J. M. Krohn, are also ineffective to prevent injury at the distal edge of a vehicle door. Guards that are used over a hinged juncture, if used at the distal edge of a hinged vehicle door, would interfere with the use of the door for access to the interior of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,140 to J. C. McLean discloses a finger guard for use on a door of a nursery school. In that arrangement, a portion of the door along its distal edge is removed and replaced with a soft rubber or plastic material. Fingers which are caught between the soft distal edge of the door and the hard rigid door jam can be removed easily without injury. Such a structure is not desirable for the doors of motor vehicles for reasons of cost, comfort in very cold or very hot weather, short service life, and reduced safety if the vehicle is involved in a crash.